Obsession
by morby-chan
Summary: Everywhere you went, you could feel them... You couldn't see them, but you knew they were there... watching you... wanting you... waiting for the opportune moment to strike out. You couldn't admit it, but you both knew that one day he would have you


If anyone were to question whether or not you were happy with your current life you would have to say no. You were on top of the world! After tolling through college, and slaving away as an intern, you'd finally made it to your dream job. At this point everything you'd ever hoped for was coming together. You gladly worked overtime, even without the extra pay; you happily zipped through the tedious paperwork, and even did the dirty work, that the veterans grimaced at, with a smile.

Yes, you were happy where you were. And despite the stress, fatigue, and cynical comments from your older coworkers, you were sure that you would stay happy in your field…

Or at least, you hoped you would…

You see, there had been a small accident on your last shift… you had been up for three days straight working on a vaccine when, unbeknownst to you at the time, someone had thought it humorous to switch the office coffee to de-caf. Long story short, poisonous chemicals spilled, expensive bottles broke and one of the labs had to be closed for cleaning. Needless to say, that despite your small episode of clumsiness you'd kept calm, assessed the situation, and then cleaned up your tracks and never spoke of it to anyone…

You hadn't really expected to get away with it, but you were still rather confused as to how you'd been tracked. You had thought you were pretty thorough, but regardless of the how, you'd been called over the intercom to report to the principle your boss's office.

"God, being sent to the office because someone decided to be an ass… this is middle school all over again," you grumbled with a pout, receiving one or two odd glances from your co-workers.

It didn't take you long to reach your boss's office, it did however take a good while for you to gather your nerves enough to actually knock on his door.

"Uh-uh, who is it?"

The voice that spoke out from behind the door came out as nothing more than a muffled squeak, causing you to frown, "It's Dr. Avery, sir?"

"Oh! Ah, yes, come in, come in."

Dr. Edward Higgins was a small mousy man with snow white hair and a bushy white moustache. Despite his overly kind nature, as one of the top heads of Ni'Ar enterprises he tried his best to be stern and frightening. Something that when it came down to it, he sometimes could be, or… would be, if it weren't for the overly large round glasses that magnified his already over expressive eyes, giving him a scared fish look.

As you entered the room, however, you were not met by an angry, man fish lecturing you and trying to be intimidating, but a pale, sweaty old man shaking behind his desk.

"Ah, Dr. Avery, please have a seat."

You followed his request tentatively; trying to figure out what had the poor man so frazzled.

With a quick clearing of his throat and an adjustment of his glasses, Dr. Higgins slid a piece of paper across his desk and into your reach.

"I was called early this morning, the moment I stepped through that door in fact, by the CEO, Jonas Mason, himself. Unfortunately it was not a very pleasant call and I was given some rather… unsettling news, and even more unsettling orders," Dr. Higgins explained with a sigh, "You see, doctor, Ni'Ar Enterprise isn't do so well of late, well… no privately owned medical research company is doing so well. None except for… well, the Umbrella Corporation. Their business is doing so well, and hitting such new heights that it's pushing us smaller companies out of the picture… so, I'm afraid it's led to us having to do something I'm not sure I really agree with… something deeply involving you…"

You instantly felt sick. This was 'the talk', the thing they gave people right before they sacked them. You couldn't believe how naïve you'd been! Had you really thought that'd you'd finally reached your goals? That it would be that simple? That easy to reach your childhood dreams? …. Evidently, yeah… you kinda did.

Oh! What were you going to do? What could you do? Medical science was all you knew and, 'can I take your order?' had never really rolled off your tongue well. Besides, you loved this place! The environment, the layout, the equipment, the people! This was the place you'd dreamed of since you were little, and you sure as hell didn't want to leave it until they pried a microscope from your old, wrinkly, withered hands… And yet this was how your dream was to end? You couldn't believe it…

"Well, Dr. Avery, what do you think?"

Your thoughts were instantly broken and your eyes frantically searched the old man's face for some clue as to what you missed.

What did you think? That wasn't part of the 'we're' sorry but we're firing you' speech! … Was it? No! Then what could he possibly be talking about?

You found yourself grasping straws, as you desperately tried to think what it was he had told you. However, the longer you waited the clearer it became that this was a question that needed an answer **now**.

"I… um, I don't know what to say," you let out nervously.

Dr. Higgins's looked relieved, suspicious, and tired. "Yes, I understand, this is a fairly peculiar situation and I wish it were anyone but you that had to do it."

"But I don't understand, why me?"

Dr. Higgins scowled, "It's as I just told you, (1)my dear -er, d-doctor, you are a genius young upstart that just entered the business, it's the least suspicious choice to send you. Hell, if we sent one our more trusted workers that had worked here for ten to twenty odd years, well, Umbrella wouldn't touch them with a fifty foot pole! It makes more sense to be letting the newest addition go anyway."

"Wait, what?"

Now you were really lost! Genius? Suspicious? Umbrella? Letting go? What the hell was going on here?

Dr. Higgins let out a mildly frustrated noise, "We don't have time for this, Dr. Avery! Everything has already been set up; we simply need your approval. I realize that it's dangerous, insane and a lot to ask, but you're the only one who can do it and if you don't, well… the odds of Ni'Ar Enterprise surviving are slim to none… So the question is, 'will you do this'?"

…No, the real question was, 'did you love your job enough to risk everything you had on a mission you didn't understand in order to save a company you just started working for?'

"Yes."

Ooh, dear…


End file.
